This article argues that whilst there have been substantial advancements in the ways in which learning is conceptualised, theoretical understandings of assessment, and practices that contribute to meaningful statements of learners' achievements, have not mirrored these changes in certain learning contexts. The authors challenge contemporary…

This article explores the fine detail of practice by three teachers, all recognised as effective teachers of literacy. The three were observed during nine literacy lessons (three lessons each), working with Year 2 classes (6/7-year-olds) in successful inner-city primary schools in the south of England. Data collection took place in 2003, just as…

This article presents observations and discussion of the successful teaching of English to pupils, in English primary schools, for whom English is an additional language (EAL). It draws on research in Year 2 (6-7-year old) classes in three inner-city primary schools carried out in 2003 and 2005. Three recognized, effective teachers of literacy…

This article presents an analysis of the policy rhetoric of partnership and the reality of the process of partnership working using data from a qualitative case study of a sub-regional partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to widen participation in post-16 learning in the Black Country, a part of the Midlands in England. Data collected…

Although standards and accountability continue to be at the centre of education policy in England, there has been a shift in emphasis encouraging practitioners to take ownership of and deliver a broader curriculum. This article explores specific projects in one primary school that highlight the way in which staff are embracing, extending and…

This article explores head teacher and middle leader perceptions of leadership talent identification, development, succession and retention in 12 contextually different urban primary schools. The schools are located within a single local education authority in the English West Midlands. The study is constructed to inform the research agenda in the…

London Metropolitan University in Islington, North London, is very much part of the local community. A very high proportion of the students come from the areas around the university, and an even higher proportion go on to take up posts in the immediate inner-city environment. The education department was therefore very keen to foster…

This article provides a case study demonstrating the active role that 5- to 6-year-old boys in an English inner-city, multi-ethnic primary school play in the appropriation and reproduction of their masculine identities. It is argued that the emphasis on physicality, violence and racism found among the boys cannot be understood without reference to…

SUGGESTED IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR URBAN DISADVANTAGED AND DISTURBED OR DELINQUENT CHILDREN. THE INSTITUTIONAL FAMILY LIFE OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS CAN OFFER THESE CHILDREN AN ESCAPE FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT OF THE URBAN GHETTO. MOREOVER, URBAN SCHOOLS SHOULD INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAMS OUT…

Describes an attempt to devise a science teaching scheme for 14 to 16 year-old students of low educational attainment attending an inner urban comprehensive school in England. Presents a list of course objectives and descriptions of the science modules used. (MLH)

School reform involves the public: its expectation of participation and its support for a reform agenda. In theory, the press influences both. To explore this link, we compare education coverage in four press outlets, two each in Chicago and Cleveland. Articles and editors are interrogated for (1) style of journalism and (2) assumptions about the…

The author points out two of the problems involved in merging two schools: determining which buildings to close and melding the two staffs, who may have different philosophies and procedures. She also notes that these mergers present opportunities for reorganizing space, rethinking curriculum, and gaining access to additional resources. (SJL)

Longitudinal study of leadership and transformation of organizational culture in one state school in England in the late 1990s. Explores how three head teachers applied power effectively in three distinct areas: within the school and its departments, with the local government and communities, and with the central government and its agencies.…

In Britain, teaching is being reconstructed through a technicist and managerial perspective that bleaches out teachers'"authentic" voice. This paper focuses on a group of urban teachers' professional commitment and explores how teachers' viewpoints are infused with their class histories, class consciousness, and teaching experiences.…

Despite being central to government education policy in many countries, there remains considerable debate about whether resources matter for pupil outcomes. In this paper we look at this question by considering an English education policy initiative--Excellence in Cities--which has been a flagship policy aimed at raising standards in inner-city…